Method for recovering vanadium



L. s. COPELIN. 7

METHOD FOR RECOVERING VANADIUM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1920.

1,38 1 ,802. Patented June 14, 1921.

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uuirsb STATES PATENT osrics.

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To all concern:

Be it kuown that l, LEONARD S. COPELIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Millers in the county of Esmeralda and btate of N evada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods for Recovering Vanadium, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and inclusive method of recovering vanadium from ores and compounds including vanadium and particularly those which occur at normal temperatures in a solid'rorm, under such conditions as to obtain the vanadium in a form for commercial use at a cost which gives it a mod.- erate commercial value.

In carrying out this object, it has been found that sodium sulfid readily re-acts on vanadium compounds in the presence of steam and particularly when subjected to the action of heat and pressure and experiment has shown that under pressures of anywhere from 5 to 250 pounds and at temperatures between 227 degrees F. and 406 degrees F. especially in the presence of steam, the reaction between the sodium sulfid and vanadium in-the forms in which it occurs in ore, results in a resolution of the vanadium into sodium vanadate which being soluble in water may be readily recovered and reduced by ordinary chemical means and methods in l any suitable or preferredform for commeroral I f madam this connection, indicate that while the'most suitable temperature to which to subject any particular ore containing vanadium must depend to a certain extent upon the character of the ore, and therefore must be ascertained by experiment with the particular sam 1e of the ore, the temperature which is va uable and will be foundsatisfactory in the large majority of instances is j flh'efexperiments which have thus far been.

1920. Serial No. 384,922.

In carrying out the process it has been found desirable to, employ apparatus suchas that illustrated in the drawing wherein Figure 1, is a sectional view of a drum mounted for rotation and providedwith a steam jacket.

Fig. 2, is a view wherein the steam jacket -is omitted.

The procedure which has been found eliticient in this connection, is substantially as follows Ground raw or roasted ore containing vanadium or solid vanadium compounds, and sodium sulfid in solution. are placed in a drum such as that illustrated either in Figs. 1 or 2, or any equivalent container capable of withstanding a relatively high regree of heat and internal pressure. The amount of sodium sulfid in proportion to the ore or vanadium compound is not controlledby any particular rule or scale, and maybe varied Widely without in any way modifying the ultimate result of the process, the" main desideratum being that the quantity of sodium sulfidwith the additional water which may be employed, and which may be varied from; 50% to 150% of the weight of the ore, shall be such as to make a pulp or mushwhich will be suiiiciently soft and cohesive to pour. Obviously the amount of sulfur in the sodium sulfid should be sufiicient from a practical standpoint to combine with and absorb all of the materials which may be present in the ore such aslead, copper and zinc, and thereforethe approximate amount of sodium sulfid which may be used to the best advantage with any particular experiment on vanadium ore may readily be determined by experiment or bygtesting a sample thereof. Y

Having placed the mixture as above indicated in the drum, the latter should be closed and the door or ground hole gap 10 thereof should be tightly secured so as to resist internal pressure, after which the drum should steam pipes being carriedinto the drum through journals or trunnicns 13 thereof which should be mounted in suitable bear-f ings 14 to permit of imparting rotary movement to the drum. Obviously the heat introduced as above noted, either directly into the charge or into the steam jackctwill heat the charge and at the same time will produce an internal pressure in the drum by converting the sodium sulfid solution into steam and minute particles of sodium sulfid or steam incident to the vaporization of the water of the solution in which event the sodium sulfid solution will be highly concentrated. In eitherevent the charge will be subjected to the combined action of heat and pressure in the presence of steam by which said heat and pressure are produced and with the sodium sulfid in intimate relation with the vanadium compounds and other minerals in the ore with the result that the sulfur of the sodium 'whereuponvthe vanadium will be found in the form of soluble sodium vanadate and will be in solution, which obviously may be readily separated from the solid matter or residue in the drum by filtration.

The vanadium may be recovered from the solution in any desired form by any pre ferred or wellknown chemical treatment, the

reaction forming no part of the present invention.

menace The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. The method of recovering vanadium from ores: and compounds containing the same which consists in the treatment of the ore with sodium sulfid solution in the presence of heat.

2. The method" of recovering vanadium from ores and compounds containing the same which consists in the treatment of the ore with sodium sulfid solution in the presence of heat and under pressure.

3. The method of extracting vanadium from ores and compounds including same which consists in the treatment of the ore with steam in the presence of sodium sulfid solution.

4. The method of extracting vanadium from ores and compounds including same which consists in the treatment of the ore with steam in the presence of sodium sulfid solution and under pressure.

5. The method of extracting vanadium from ores and compounds-containing the same which consists in the treatment of the ores with sodium sulfid solution in the presence of steam while'suhject to heat and pressure.

6. lhe method of extracting vanadium from ores and compounds including the same which consists in grinding ore and combin- I ing therewith a solution containing sodium sulfid to form a pulp and then subjecting the mass to heat.

7. The method of extracting vanadium from ores and compounds containing the same, which consists in combining with the pulverized ore a solution containing sodium sulfid and subjecting the mass to heat in a closed vesseh In testimony whereof ll afiix my signature.

LEONARD S. GUPELEN. 

